Windows Mobile vs iPhone "The Future is NOW!"

[Guest nickcornaglia]

While glancing over at the video slideshow at the bottom of Windows Live Messenger on my desktop...I saw a link to THIS VIDEO which is an excerpt from an iPhone segment on the "Today Show", a daily morning news show in the US.

The video describes what Microsoft is doing to combat the iPhone and what Windows Mobile's future features "WILL BE".

In it they mention that one day Windows Mobile will have:
- The ability to edit and view Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel and Powerpoint)
- Phones with built in GPS clips.
- Live Traffic updates
- Electronic Coupons delivered while just walking by or in a store.
- Product descriptions and reviews via photo "shoot and search"

I felt the need to share this video as Windows Mobile news, but also to clarify to non-regular readers of this site that Windows Mobile ALREADY does all of this.

- The ability to edit and view Microsoft Office files (Word, Excel and Powerpoint)
This has been a feature of PocketPCs and a addition now present in the new WM6 Smartphone OS.

- Phones with built in GPS technology.
Many Windows Mobile phones now have GPS built in and all Bluetooth equipt Windows Mobile phones have the ability to add this feature via Bluetooth connected GPS and programs such as Tom-Tom, Co-Pilot and a host of others including free software such as GoogleMaps and Windows Live Search maps.

- Live Traffic updates
Again, alreay present in quite a few programs that includes free version such as GoogleMaps and Windows Live Search. There is even alternate software such as the free Traffic Cellmate that offers Traffic Cameras in the NewYork metro area with many more areas on the way.

- Electronic Coupons delivered while just walking by or in a store.
Maybe not fully realized until shops agree on a universal standard, but electronic coupons via phone are currently available in programs such as CellFire.

- Product descriptions and reviews via photo "shoot and search"
Currently there aren't any programs that are available that allow you to just take a pic to retreive information but there is already a simple web-based page that allows for the same function. Mogoso lets you enter the UPC code in for a product where it returns reviews as well as Amazon pricing.
EDIT: MoDaCo member ClintEastman has informed us that the program shown in the video, "Lincoln", a Microsoft Research Labs Beta, is available already (as beta) here: http://lincoln.msresearch.us/Lincoln/Logon.aspx


Microsoft's answer to the iPhone? These features and much more ALREADY exist. The future of WindowsMobile, that they speak of in the video , is now! :)

[Guest TheHelios]

Microsoft Labs are doing a beta of a program called "Lincoln" that lets you take a picture of a DVD cover and it will give you a review of it. Its really hit or miss right now but the more albums that are uploaded, the more accurate the results will be.

[Guest jimbouk]

I think we should all remember that the iphone hype is bringing lots of so called "experts" out and into tv shows to tell us all what we don't know... :)

All this hype for the iphone is actually good news for WM as it simply provide a platform for WM and even Symbian to tell everyone what they can already do - such as the opera mini vs iphone ad - which is an absolute pisstake of the mac vs pc ads...

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Microsoft Labs are doing a beta of a program called "Lincoln" that lets you take a picture of a DVD cover and it will give you a review of it. Its really hit or miss right now but the more albums that are uploaded, the more accurate the results will be.

You can see that the app is called Lincold in the video...I couldnt remember if it was MS or another dev making it...so I didnt mention it. Thanks for the clarification. :)

[Guest ClintEastman]

Have beem playing around with Lincoln for quite a while.

Download it here: http://lincoln.msresearch.us/Lincoln/Logon.aspx

[Guest nickcornaglia]

Thanks Clint. I updated the first post.

PS.

Havn't seen you about much...or maybe I was just looking for your old Ricky Gervais avatar that I remember! :)

[Guest loki_f]

I am no proponent of the iPhone, but I must say that the areas where Windows Mobile is lacking (especially on the Pocket PC) is the UI. It has come leaps and bounds in recent years but still could do with a lot of simplification and 'cleaning up' before it is able to compete with the iPhone UI. TouchFlo is a step in the right direction, but Microsoft have to take on HTCs ideas and implement them accross the OS and not just in a glorified home screen as HTC has.

The feature set of Windows Mobile is fantastic, and the devices are now very stable.

Also the quality of the devices needs to get better - the materials on the iPhone make the average Windows Mobile handset looks like a childs toy - bring on the full Magnesium construction and sapphire crystal glass I say!

Edited July 3, 2007 by loki_f

[Guest Rob.P]

"bring on the full Magnesium construction and sapphire crystal glass I say!"

Lets not, I prefer the pricing I'm currently paying for my handsets rather than the Apple Sheeple prices which is far too much money for a phone IMO.

Edited July 3, 2007 by Rob.P

[Guest jamskee]

Hi all,

I have been a WM user since ehh, well the first Compaq IPAQ came out (remember them?) and I have stuck with a WM device ever since...

I agree with loki_f. The WM UI is something to question when compared to the iPhone. WM devices have a big advantage in that there is a plethora of apps for any subject know to man, but the bit that has always bothered me over the years is the user interface. WM and apps written for WM dont always have intuitive UIs.

TomTom is a great application that is intuitive and easy to use and also this flash UI which has been around for years from a company called Zoomero http://www.zoomero.com/content/view/76/44. Its very neat information access tool which makes it easy to navigate... tap to zoom in and tap to zoom out.

There are also more and more apps appearing which are trying to make it easier to navigate around a WM device like http://zenzui.com/products.html which looks very promising, but they all seem to be addons to the existing WM OS, which will take up more resources from the device.

I dont think of myself as living in a M$ camp or Mac camp, I just appreciate any thing that makes my life easier and flexible. I hate the fact that the M$ windows mobile interface is so fiddly and you have to use a stylus sometimes as it’s too tricky to use fingers or a thumb wheel.

The iPhone has all the usability I would love to see on a WM device but i wouldn’t want to have an iPhone just for the usability only because I dont feel it gives me all the functionality my WM (TyTn) device does.

In a nut shell I would love to see the WM UI focused towards the practicality of using it on a small form factor screen like a pocket PC. Maybe there should be a site that promotes usability for WM devices and help developers make more intuitive apps for WM from now on…

None the less its good to have the iPhone set the standard so developers can improve on what they have for WM devices... we shall see.

Anyway enough ranting on... gotta go back to work now :)

[Guest djfuego]

I thought the IPhone theme/app that was made for PPC/WM was a great poke in the Eye for Apple :)

[Guest VulakAerr]

The best review of the iPhone can be found here:

iPhone review

:)

[Guest mikeeey]

The best review of the iPhone can be found here:

iPhone review

:)

hahahaha!!

i would never do this over an iphone.

only windows mobile devices lol.

[Guest death-of-fleas]

http://www.willitblend.com/videos.aspx?typ...mp;video=iphone

best use of an iphone!

[Guest death-of-fleas]

Iphone buglist now at 68

http://www.techspot.com/news/26165-iphone-...rows-to-68.html

[Guest pr5owner]

missing from the iphone?

1. Bang for the Buck (the iPhone is $500-$600 + 2yr contract, but has so many missing things)

2. Missing high security password (I can use either simple or adv on my X01HT, that’s letters AND numbers)

3. Owner information? (if you tell the phone to auto lock and you lose it, how is the person that picks it up going to know who you are to return it to you)

4. Voice Dialing (with or without pre-recorded voice clips)

5. Voice Digit Dialing (ties in with voice dialing)

6. Crippled 3rd party support (websites are not an application, web dialer isn’t that great)

7. No MMS (remembering 50+ carrier email domain extensions does not count as a work around)

8. No built in instant messaging or 3rd party support (not even iChat?)

9. 3G, 3.5G, 3.75G (the iPhone is missing all of them)

10. Crippled video support, (only plays h.264 which NO OTHER PHONE CAN RECORD. The standard is 3gp but isn’t supported, neither are iTunes shows lol)

11. Lack of Removable battery

12. Self serviceable battery (Out-of-warranty battery replacement: $79 + $6.95 shipping? )

13. Difficult one handed use because of the lack of tactile feel

14. Lack of Hardware buttons (minimalist designs usually sacrifice functionality for looks)

15. Lack of plan choice - Mandatory Data fees, Mandatory Voice fees

16. Choice of carrier (looks like the iPhone is REALLY locked to ATT, it maybe highly difficult to unlock at this point in time)

17. Crippled camera (not even templates or shutter modes?)

18. Lack of Themes (if the iPhone is all about looks, why cant you theme anything on it?)

19. Same iPod restrictions apply (iTunes is forced, AAC is forced, not my cup of tea)

20. Lack of UMS capability (Steve jobs said in his announcement video that it’s the best iPod they have ever made, ok it may look the best but even the lowest and cheapest iPod’s are capable of UMS)

21. Streaming Radio/Audio (general lack of support)

22. Cannot use a screen protector since it uses capacitive touch (your skin must touch the glass, salty Q-tips don’t count as an alternative)

23. No Games? (come on, $600? No games? That’s just mean)

24. Expandable memory slot

25. Cannot edit documents or create them

26. no LED Flash or LED Flash light, (most phones with *ok* cameras have a flash, can be used as a flashlight as well)

27. ultra crippled Bluetooth stack (only HSP? LoL even crippled VZW phones have DUN!)

28. Lack of A2DP (this goes with the crippled Bluetooth statement, however, not very many people know what Bluetooth really is, but many people want wireless headphones as well as wireless everything, reminds me of the people that think routers are plug and play, no security, still apple apparently markets the device as an iPod as well, well A2DP and playing Music go hand in hand)

29. GPS Support? (not from the carrier, and not from a Bluetooth GPS, defiantly not internal, just no support at all)

30. choose my own ring tones ($600 no customizable ring tones? Cant even buy them?)

31. Bloated OS (the OS alone is over 200MB+ on your FORMATTED 4-GB partition WM phones only take around 60+ MB for the OS yet WM have more functionality?)

32. Apparently you cant change the background of the home screen ($600 and you cant change the background image?)

33. Compatibility with headphones, apparently there is a small plastic lip (the connector is recessed)

34. Higher Resolution Videos (cannot even SYNC any video over 480p)

35. Business Accounts (apparently if you have a family plan or business account already, you will be prevented from activating your phone, but the good news is you paid $600)

36. Legacy Support (you have to BUY 10.4.10 OSX if you have 10.3.9 or earlier, and that’s over $100USD, what PHONE makes you buy a new OS? That is totally unreasonable)

37. Cannot tether phone (cant use it through Bluetooth nor can you use the USB cable to get internet connectivity on a laptop)

38. No Java applet support (this alone threw out like 70% of the after market support)

39. Lack of File Browser

40. Inability to attach files to mail? (this relates to the file browser bit)

41. bad internal integration of applications (above I mentioned you cant attach files, not even multiple photos, you have to open your photos to send them in an email but only one at a time?)

42. Cant Copy and Paste (if you think you can live without this, then stop using it on your desktop)

43. weird resolution (the screen is a “higher” resolution than a lot of flip phones and such, however its not a standard resolution, 480x320 isn’t not even wide screen as Steve jobs advertised it to be, 3:2 isn’t recognized as any standard aspect ratio)

44. lack of alert customization/Profiles(apparently you cannot set vibrate to things like calendar events, SMS, etc I would expect the alerts to be at least customizable in a $600 phone)

45. Keyboard issues (you cannot change the keyboard into landscape mode in anything but Safari)

46. Search? (where the hell is the search?)

47. Multitasking (the iPhone cannot multitask like WM phones, safari cannot load pages in the background while you do something else, you cannot type a bunch of emails and tell them all to send while you do something else, this goes for downloading emails as well)

48. Cant charge phone while powered off (is this a flaw? )

49. Push email? (this is self explanatory)

50. Enterprise functionality? (again self explanatory)

51. Apparently some issues with call volume?

52. Safari (doesn’t work too well, known problems, known exploits/bugs/holes, no choice because of nonexistent 3rd party support)

53. cant save anything from any application to the 4-8 flash storage (not from web pages or emails)

54. no iSight no video chats or calls

55. “breakthrough Internet communications device” (really? How is it break through? If it had 3.5G + video call camera I would be ok with this bold statement even though 400+ other phones have 3G + video call camera including the RAZR v3x, but it doesn’t, WiFi isn’t breakthrough in anyway shape or form for a 2007 phone, neither is full HTML email, the Bluetooth, well it cant even do Bluetooth networking so I wont go there)

56. To Do or the Checklist application

57. Flash? (ties in with Safari browser short comings)

[Guest nickcornaglia]

For the record, I didint start this thread to bash the iPhone. I was just trying to correct misinformation used to promote it. That said...bash away.

[Guest pr5owner]

For the record, I didint start this thread to bash the iPhone. I was just trying to correct misinformation used to promote it. That said...bash away.

me neither but if apple changed the things that everybody is complaining about, the phone would actaully be a decent PDA phone.

i wonder were the software update is, its been almost 2/3 months

[Guest Monolithix (MVP)]

Which software update?

[Guest jhnsmith978]

I think its good to have some other device with same features of Apple iphone...

Hope it will help to get the phone at minimum cost as its the rule of buisness everybody wanna survive in the market so it may be possible that apple may cut down its prices..

What you say?? :)

iphone Skin